Microsoft's beloved OS, nears its support end on October 14, 2025.
What does "end of support" entail?
Microsoft follows a modern lifecycle policy, outlining support schedules for their software and services. Once support ends, Windows 10 will remain functional, but you won’t receive new features, updates, or crucially, security updates, patches, or bug fixes.
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Without security updates, any new vulnerabilities or bugs discovered won’t be addressed by Microsoft. This leaves your system vulnerable to potential cyber attacks, jeopardizing your organization’s security.
What options do I have?
There are four main options for companies to consider – two we don’t recommend and two that we do:
- Do nothing. While technically an option, we strongly advise against it. Once support ends, your company becomes vulnerable to cyber attacks. Attackers target unsupported systems, exploiting vulnerabilities.
- Invest in new hardware. While feasible, purchasing new hardware for all employees is costly and often unnecessary.
- Subscribe to Extended Security Updates (ESU) from Microsoft. Microsoft offers extended security updates on a yearly subscription basis, renewable for three years. This option provides critical security updates but excludes new features or non-security updates. It's a good choice if you need more time before replacing devices.
- Upgrade current devices to Windows 11. Our top recommendation is upgrading to Windows 11. It ensures security and is cost-effective without requiring new hardware. However, compatibility is crucial. Compatible devices undergo a straightforward process, while incompatible ones need further consideration, as detailed below.
Transitioning to Windows 11
For Compatible Devices:
Upgrading compatible devices to Windows 11 is a straightforward process. Assuming your devices are managed by Intune or an onprem server, a minor configuration adjustment is needed to enable this. After the change, compatible devices will automatically receive the upgrade via Windows Update during the next update check. Please note that subsequent reboots may take longer than standard monthly updates.
For Incompatible Devices:
Windows 11 imposes stricter hardware requirements, including TPM, which may render older Windows 10 devices incompatible. If your organization uses Microsoft Intune, you can access data identifying any incompatible devices. In such cases, we recommend replacing the hardware.
Only Intel chips from the 8th generation or newer are compatible with Windows 11. For a comprehensive list of compatible Intel CPUs, visit the official Microsoft page here.
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